Time to Find a Veterinarian

If you have pets sooner or later, you will need the services of a vet.

Having pets in the truck is a big responsibility, and one of the worst things is having a sick pet.  Preventive care helps a lot: using heartworm medicine, flea and tick control and having your pets vaccinated regularly. Most pets travel all over the country and need to be treated year-round for fleas, and need to have vaccinations for anything they might be exposed to in other areas of the country. Pets also need a good supply of freshwater and good pet food.

There will come a time, though, when the services of a vet will be needed while away from home. Vet offices usually do not have large parking areas, and it can be tricky to find a vet that can see your pet on short notice, and has room to park the truck.  During our years of trucking we have needed to find a vet a few times, and it has always been challenging.

Finding a vet has become much easier now that we can use Google to search for an office that is near where we are parked. What is a little harder is getting an appointment, and where to go if a follow-up appointment is needed, as the chances of us being in the same area are very slim. We ask a lot of questions about any procedures and what we need to be cautious of. The directions of the vet are followed closely, and no amount of pleading eyes from our pet will sway us to give into them. Our goal is to get them back to being healthy as soon as possible. If we give into them, why bother going to the vet?

Recently we had a bad scare with our German Shepherd, Texas. She tore a ligament, and we were waiting for the results of the x-ray to see if she would need surgery. While she was sedated for the x-ray, the vet did several motion tests on her leg and determined that the ligament was holding her joint in place. He suggested that we curtail her jumping for the rest of her life, no more frisbee catches, jumping up on rocks or walls, and no jumping in the truck. She can chase her ball, though, and she loves that. For now, she is on “truck rest” for a few weeks while she heals, and then she will be able to walk on a leash before we slowly let her start chasing her ball again. We also need to keep her thin to lessen the pressure on her joints.

The vet’s office we found in Tucson, AZ, was called VCA Hospital, and they have locations all over the country. We were super impressed with their hospitality and understanding that Texas was a truck dog. When the vet gave his suggestions to take care of her, he took into consideration her lifestyle.  When we called, they offered suggestions of where we could park the truck nearby to get into the office. 

Having an animal get hurt or sick while we are away from home is stressful. Finding a vet’s office that can accommodate a truck and a last-minute appointment takes patience, but our pets' health is worth it.